Telling jokes is a thing of the past. Nowadays, people find amusement in comedies, pranks and endless cat videos on YouTube. Present students with a writing exam task and ask them to write an article explaining what makes them laugh and who they like to laugh with. All that while explaining the main points of… Continue reading Cambridge PET – Writing Part 2 (article)
Category: B1 PET
Cambridge PET – Reading Part 2 (Cycling Courses)
The B1 cycling reading task is one of those exam activities that’s not just fun to do but also pretty enjoyable to teach. Students read five short descriptions of different people and pair them with texts that all share the same theme. Even though it looks easy, this exercise actually demands a lot of attention… Continue reading Cambridge PET – Reading Part 2 (Cycling Courses)
B1/B2 – Job interview – Soft skills
During my time teaching online, one of the most commonly asked things was to have a pre-job interview class. This happens frequently, especially on online platforms, such as Preply. The demand for these lessons made me sign up for a Preply webinar, "Preparing students for job interviews", which served as an inspiration for this lesson… Continue reading B1/B2 – Job interview – Soft skills
How long does one minute feel like? – B1 Speaking Part 2
It’s wild how we see time differently. When we’re having a blast, a minute flies by in no time. But when we’re in a stressful spot, like during a speaking exam, that same minute can feel like an eternity. That’s exactly what students experience when they step into the exam room to talk on their… Continue reading How long does one minute feel like? – B1 Speaking Part 2
Linking words of purpose, result and reason – B1 Speaking Part 3
Linking words are one of the main causes of headaches for English language learners. Students often feel unsure of their meanings and their use in sentences. That's why when one of my newest students asked me to have a class on connectors, I took on this challenge. I divided linking words into several groups: reason, result,… Continue reading Linking words of purpose, result and reason – B1 Speaking Part 3
B1 – Pronunciation maze – /d/ and /t/
On Thursday, 24th February 2022, I attended a Cambridge webinar for teachers on Developing Speaking Skills for B1 Preliminary and B2 First for Schools with a focus on pronunciation. In this one hour session, the trainers showed many pronunciation exercises that may help our students in the speaking part of the exam. This webinar coincided… Continue reading B1 – Pronunciation maze – /d/ and /t/
Cambridge PET – Speaking Part 3
In the PET speaking exam, the students aren't alone - they go in with another candidate (sometimes even two!). For the most part, they don't need to communicate with each other. However, in Speaking Part 3 they need to exchange ideas and opinions for two minutes. And yes, they're being scored on the way they… Continue reading Cambridge PET – Speaking Part 3
Your year in review
Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all had a lovely winter break and enjoyed your time off work. When everyone else is planning their resolutions and different ways of achieving them, why don't we look back at 2021 and analyse it month by month. I present you with a lesson plan for adults, levels… Continue reading Your year in review
Christmas-themed B1 speaking
The stress of the exam preparation doesn't take any days off. That's why when you want to take a breather and spend some fun and quality time with your B1 students, you may want to kill two birds with one stone. Have a chat about Christmas time, while practising all parts of the PET speaking… Continue reading Christmas-themed B1 speaking
Have yourself a sustainable little Christmas
It's the most wonderful time of the year once again. The time to be jolly, spend time with your loved ones, and of course, give presents. It's so wonderful that most of the time we forget about the dark side of it - increased waste production. In this Christmas oriented lesson, we look at the… Continue reading Have yourself a sustainable little Christmas